Valet stand and garment hanger



P 1964 1.. w. VAN DUSEN 3,150,776

VALET STAND AND GARMENT HANGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1962 Sept. 29, 1964 w. VAN DUSEN 3,150,776

VALET STAND AND GARMENT HANGER Filed Jan. 8, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3.

IN VEN TOR. [4095/1/65 l1. W460)??? United States Patent 3,150,776 VALET STAND AND GARMENT HANGER Laurence W. Van Dusen, Escondido, Calif., assignor to Mission Industries, Escondido, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Jan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 164,959 8 Claims. (Cl. 211-1) This invention relates to garment hanger devices and has particular reference to a so-called valet stand or freestanding assembly for temporarily hanging one or more suits of clothes or the like.

Valet stands, generally made of wood and of attractive design, have become popular pieces of bedroom furniture, used to temporarily support a suit of clothes or the like. Such devices generally comprise a stand having aihxed thereto a coat or jacket hanger or suspension member and a trousers-supporting bar positioned thereabove so that the device can be conveniently used by first placing the jacket thereon, followed by the trousers, i.e., in the order in which the garments are removed by the wearer. Conversely, the garments supported on the stand are in position to be donned by the wearer in the customary manner, that is first the trousers and then the jacket. These devices are, however, subject to the disadvantage that if and. when it is desired to transfer the garments from the valet stand to the closet, it is necessary to remove the garments from the valet stand hanger and trousers-support bar and then re-hang or support the garments on the conventional jacket hanger and/ or trousers hanger for placement in the closet.

An. important object of the present invention is to provide a novel valet stand which is not subject to this disadvantage.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a valet stand having a novel assembly of garment supporting members removably connected to the stand per se so that the assembly and the garments supported thereon may be readily removed from the stand and placed in a closet for support therein upon the usual closet pole or rod, in a quick and convenient manner.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is afrontelevation of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view thereof, partly broken away.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 66' of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 77 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view, illustrating the manner in which the garment supporting assembly is hung upon the conventional closet rod.

Referring now to the drawings, the device of the present invention includes a stand portion generally indicated 10, including a pair of upright frame members 11, generally mutually parallel and connected at the bottoms to a base assembly 13. The assembly 13 comprises a pair of foot or support elements 14 connected together by means of a pair of rods 15 and a central bar 16, the ends of which extend into grooves in the members 11. The connection among the bar 16, members 11 and foot ele- 3,150,776 Patented Sept. 29, 1964 "ice ments 14 is accomplished by means of a threaded rod 18 and nut members 19.

The frame members 11 are connected together at an intermediate point by means of a reenforcing bar and at the top by means of a bracket assembly 21. The bracket assembly includes a pair of members 22, each comprising a pair of arms extending generally horizontally outwardly from the respective frame members 11, the members 22 being connected together by means of a tray 23 and to the respective frame members 11 by means of a threaded rod 24 and nut members 25. The tray 23, designed for use in holding small objects normally carried by the user,

such as change, wallets, watches and the like, is made up of a horizontal bottom wall and side walls 31, the end walls of the tray being formed by the members 22.

It is to be understood that preferably the various connecting parts are secured together as by gluing, in addition to the mechanical connections described above.

The ends of the members 22 are slightly up-turned, as at 35, and are provided with grooves 36, for a purpose to be described below.

Removably supported on the bracket assembly 21 is a pair of garment supporting assemblies 40, each including a jacket supporting hanger or suspension member 41, suitably contoured to the shape of the normal jacket shoulders, in the conventional manner. Fixed to each hanger 41, by means of a pair of bar members 42, is a trouserssupporti-ng bar 43, each bar having its ends suitably contoured, as at 48, so as to rest upon the grooved ends of the members 22 in positions preventing longitudinal or transverse movement with respect to the members 22. Each bar 43 is provided with a pair of central bores 50 extending inwardly from each end thereof. The garment supporting assemblies are completed by a pair of hook members 52, one for each assembly 40, these members preferably being made of wire or rod suitably bent into the shape shown, with a straight end portion extending into one of the bores on each rod 43, the other end being bent into hook shape as at 53 for hanging contact with the conventional closet support rod.

Adequate clearance between thestraight end portions of the hook members 52 and their associated bores 50 is provided so as to permit ready turning of the hook members with respect to the remaining parts of their associated assemblies 40, such turning, for example, being from solid line positions of FIGURES 1 and 2 to the phanto'm line or vertical posit-ions shown in those figures. While it is in the scope of the present invention to rigidly connect the hook members 52 to the rods 43, with the hook members extending in a generally vertical plane, it is preferred to permit the relative turning shown and described, for a purpose to be described below. Additionally, it is preferred to construct the assembly as shown, with the hook members 52 being free to be removed from their respective rods, for insertion in either end thereof, but if desired, only a single 'bore 50 can be utilized in each rod and the hook members 52 can be no'n-removably connected to each rod in any convenient maner, if desired.

The use of the device thus described, insofar as supporting a jacket and pair of trousers is concerned, is the same as with the conventional valet stand, with the exception that the present device incorporates a pair of garment supporting assemblies, rather than the single assembly provided with the conventional valet stand. Thus, it will be seen from the drawings that when the garment supporting assembly 40 is positioned on the stand as shown, the hook members 52 are turned in a manner so as to rest in planes at only a slight angle from the horizontal. The jacket or coat to be supported is merely placed upon the jacket hanger 41 in the usual manner and conveniently without removal of the assembly 40 from the stand. Also, by virtue of the fact that the hook members 5 2 are turned to an out-of-the-way position, the pair of trousers are easily placed upon the support bar 43 in the conventional manner, adequate clearance being provided between the tray 23 and the assembly 40 to permit insertion of the trouser legs therebetween. The valet stand of the present invention differs from conventional valet stands, however, in that after placement of the garments as described, the assembly (or assemblies) 40 and its or their supported garments are adapted to be bodily removed from the stand, merely by grasping the hook member 52 at a point intermediate the ends thereof and lifting upwardly, whereupon the hook member will automatically turn to the vertical position and enable the assembly and garments to be lifted the short distance required to clear the ends 35 of the members 22, whereupon the assembly and supported garments can be moved away from the stand and placed in the closet upon the conventional closet rod. For most convenient use of the device, the user will be supplied with a plurality of garment supporting assemblies 40 so that at least one such assembly can be maintained upon the stand at all times, with an additional supply of such assemblies being maintained in the closet with garments supported thereon, permitting convenient transfer of garments between the stand and the closet.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the provision of a pair of garment supporting assemblies, but that it is contemplated that the structure shown and described above may be modified to incorporate only a single garment supporting assembly. Similarly, it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a valet stand having the advantages described above, but differing in that a pair of garment supporting assemblies are supported upon the stand per se in such a manner as to permit rotation of the assemblies about a vertical axis, thus providing convenient access to either grament supporting assembly. Such construction is of course not limited to the use of a pair of upright frame members 11, but would contemplate for example, a single post suitably supported upon a base to provide the stand per se. It should be also pointed out that the garment hanger or support assemblies 40 have independent utility, aside from the combination with the stand. Thus, it will be understood that the assemblies provide a convenient means for hanging garments in the closet, and it is contemplated that in addition to support upon a valet stand as shown herein, the assemblies 40 can be supported in other manners, such as for example by inserting the hook end of the hook portion 52, disposed in a horizontal plane, into a horizontal slot in the wall or in a free standing supporting member, the slot being only slightly wider than the thickness of the wire or rod forming the hook member 52 and the slot being sufliciently deep so as to receive substantially all of the hook portion end of the Wire or rod, thus supporting the assembly with the hook member in the generally horizontal plane and the rod 43 and hanger 41 extending generally vertically in the normal manner.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for banking garments comprising the combination of a free-standing support member and a garment supporting assembly removably connected thereto, said assembly including a trousers-supporting bar, a jacket hanger portion depending therefrom and a hook member, said free-standing support member including a bracket assembly having a pair of outwardly-extending, spaced support members, and connecting means therebetween, said support members being generally parallel and said trousers-supporting bar being removably supported on said support members.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said hook member is turnably connected to only one end of said trouserssupporting bar and wherein said hook member rests by gravity upon said connecting means in a plane at an angle to the vertical, sufiicient clearance being provided between the trousers-supporting bar and the connecting means to permit a pair of trousers to be supported upon said bar, with the trouser legs positioned between said bar and said connecting means.

3. The device as defined in claim 2, wherein a pair of garment supporting assemblies are provided.

4. The device as defined in claim 2, wherein the connectin g means includes a tray.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein said bar is provided with a central bore in at least one end thereof, and wherein said hook member includes a relatively straight end portion received in said bore.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said support members are provided with transverse grooves adjacent the ends thereof for reception of the end portions of said trousers-supporting bar therein.

7. A device for hanging garments comprising the combination of a free-standing support member and a garment supporting assembly removably connected thereto, said assembly including a trousers-supporting bar, a jacket hanger portion depending therefrom and a hook member mounted on said bar, said free-standing support member including a bracket assembly having a pair of outwardly-extending, spaced support members, the outer portions of said support members being spaced apart a distance slightly less than the length of said trousers-supporting bar and said outer portions being provided with grooves in which the outer ends of said trousers-supporting bar are removably supported.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said hook member is turnably connected to only one end of said trouserssupporting bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,542,320 Reid June 16, 1925 1,861,871 Morden June 7, 1932 2,168,710 Johnson Aug. 8, 1939 3,021,961 Ruhnke Feb. 20, 1962 3,023,912 Sebastian Mar. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 456,411 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1936 

1. A DEVICE FOR HANKING GARMENTS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A FREE-STANDING SUPPORT MEMBER AND A GARMENT SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY REMOVABLY CONNECTED THERETO, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A TROUSERS-SUPPORTING BAR, A JACKET HANGER PORTION DEPENDING THEREFROM AND A HOOK MEMBER, SAID FREE-STANDING SUPPORT MEMBER INCLUDING A BRACKET ASSEMBLY HAVING A PAIR OF OUTWARDLY-EXTENDING, SPACED SUPPORT MEMBERS, AND CONNECTING MEANS THEREBETWEEN, 